The fifth entry in the Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time was the introduction of Link to the 3rd dimension on the Nintendo 64. Released in 1998, Ocarina of Time was immediately popular around the world - especially in Japan and North America. In fact, according to a study by Gameranking.jp, Ocarina of Time remains at 134th for most game sales of all time in Japan. Like the other games in the Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time told the story of a young Hylian boy named Link that sets off on a quest to save the world from the evil forces of the major antagonist - Ganondorf.
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Adding to the story was an innovative time travel feature similar to that of Link to the Past that allowed you to travel back and forth in time to solve challenging puzzles and discover new areas. According to IGN and Metacritic, Ocarina of Time is the one of the greatest video games of all time.
Injurious time now, with a robber’s haste,
Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how;
As many farewells as be stars in heaven,
With distinct breath and consigned kisses to them,
He fumbles up into a loose adieu,
And scants us with a single famished kiss,
Distasted with the salt of broken tears.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
New Game Play Innovations of Ocarina of Time
Two major game play elements contributed to the popularity of Ocarina of Time and its impact on the action adventure industry. The first feature, enemy target locking made its first appearance in this game and became popular in future games of a similar theme. This feature solved many of the camera issues that plagued 3D action games before it by adjusting your viewing angle depending on the location of a targeted enemy.
Another new feature to video games that was introduced by Ocarina of Time was the addition of multiple actions performed with the same button - depending on the player's actions. This was a very important addition of the time as it kept the control scheme very simple while still allowing for multiple button combinations and actions. This control feature is often taken for granted today but is present in almost every game released with an acceptable control scheme.
Realizing that his time was nearly spent, he gave full oral instructions about his burial and the manner in which he wished to be remembered.... A few minutes later, feeling very tired, he left the room, remarking, ‘I have no disposition to leave this precious circle. I love to be here surrounded by my family and friends.’ Then he gave them his blessing and said, ‘I am ready to go and I wish you goodnight.’
—For the State of New Hampshire, U. S. public relief program (1935-1943)
Ocarina of Time Reception
Obviously, Ocarina of Time was one of the best received video games of all time with rave reviews hailing its graphical details, thoughtfulness, depth and animation. Like the entries before it, Ocarina of Time was technically a prequel although many hardcore fans still debate the exact sequence of the video games. This debate and discussion of the game likely contributed to much of the game's popularity and reception.
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